Hey Roadie -- Fetch Me My Dream Guitar!

C.F. Martin and Co. has long been known for legendary sound quality, and they ought to be: they've been crafting acoustic guitars for some 200 years. But you wouldn't want to take your best acoustic out on the road, or would you? Since 2001, Martin has offered its Road Series guitars to serve that very purpose. Martin's DRS1 Road Series Acoustic Guitar is a workhorse dreadnought acoustic-electric designed with the cost-conscious traveling guitarist in mind.

Alternative Construction

The DRS1 acoustic-electric guitar is designed with some alternative materials to keep it durable and affordable, while maintaining the traditional stylings, playability, and rich tonal clarity you'd expect from a Martin guitar. It's constructed with a solid sapele top, back, and sides, for a look and sound that's similar to the spruce which Martin's guitars are typically made with. The neck is carved from Stratabond -- or sheets of birch which have been laminated into blocks -- resulting in a very rigid and durable neck. The fingerboard and bridge are made from Richlite, which is made from recycled paper and cardboard but is durable and sports an appearance similar to ebony.

Ready For The Road

Being that the DRS1 is Martin's most affordable solid wood model, you won't mind taking this one out on the road. It's got a modified low oval neck profile so it's comfortable to play standing or sitting, and it has great action so you can play up and down its 14 clear frets. Hardware includes Fishman Sonitone pickup, preamp, and volume/tone controls, so you'll be ready to play wherever the road takes you.

Martin Warranty
Martin offers a limited lifetime warranty on all of their guitars (valid only to the original owner.) Backpackers, Little Martins and Ukuleles are warrantied for one year. Strings are not covered under warranty.

If you have additional warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer at 610-759-2837

Product Description

The Martin DRS1 acoustic guitar marks the return of Martin's Road Series, which was originally introduced in 2001. The DRS1 is designed for working and traveling guitarists on a modest budget who require their instrument to be durable without giving up the quality of its sound. The top, back and sides are crafted of solid sapele and braced for resonance and projection. The Martin DRS1 neck is built with multilaminate Stratabond for extra rigidity and durability, and the belly bridge and fingerboard are made of Richlite that achieves a similar look to ebony. The Martin DSR1 model comes equipped with the Fishman Sonitone sound reinforcement system.

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
"LOVE THIS GUITAR!!!!!!"

Sound:
The sound quality is out standing right out of the box. A quick tune and I was playing better than I have in years. I looked at my wife and said "So, this is what a quality acoustic guitar sounds like".
Feature:
The Fishman Sonitone sounded good on my 7 year old daughters First Act amp.
Have not plugged into my amp yet. Love the sound,look and smell of the Sapele wood
Ease of Use:
It is very easy to play. Action is great right out of the box. Comfortable to hold and play.
Quality:
Quality is OUTSTANDING! Well built. Appearance is very nice.
Value:
This product is the best value you will ever find for the price.
Great guitar for the money. Has to be best in Class.
Manufacturer Support:
Have not had to use Martin for anything yet.
The Zzounds staff is great. Very patient and very helpful and most of all very friendly.
The Wow Factor:
I was blown away with this guitar. This is a guitar I will hold onto for the rest of my life.
Overall:
Hands down this is the best acoustic guitar I have played for the money.

Style of Music: I have been playing as a hobbyist for about 30 years. Blues,Rock

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"DRS1?.....YES!"

Sound:
This guitar is clear and deep sounding....it sounds wonderful with light to medium strumming and is a fantastic finger picker. A very expressive guitar with a sweet and very Martin like sound. If it could handle heavy strumming I would have given it a 10....but to be fair you really have to be very heavy handed to make it break up even a little bit. For my style of playing Folk/Country/Rock ballads it is awesome! It is very hard for me to stop playing this guitar. Very melodious when strummed...not clashy sounding. Finger picking heaven! Great projection and volume...in short...I love it!
Feature:
Martin put Lifespan SP strings on this guitar...along with a natural sounding Fishman Sonitone pickup with volume and tone control easily accessed in the soundhole...and to top it off, they even put a perfectly mounted strap pin on the neck heel...God Bless you Martin for giving me a complete package (including a hardshell case)! This guitar is gig ready and wanting for nothing!
Ease of Use:
Ok....I just have to give this a 10 as it is a very comfortable and easy to play neck. I also like the overall weight balance. The tone control is helpful. I run it through a Crate Taos amp and all I have to do is scoop out some lower mids to get it sounding very natural.
Quality:
8...Immaculate workmanship, beautiful grain, tuners are very nice too. Gave it an 8 as the pickup needed adjustment to even out the string to string volume balance. This should have been checked by their quality control before it left the factory.
Value:
This is The Best Value for the money....I compared this guitar with many others worth a little less and a lot more and hands down this one is a clear winner. Had I been strictly a finger picker I may have chosen another brand, however for both strumming and fingerpicking the DRS1 was the best sounding ... piano like deep clear bottom, thick and clear trebles and plenty of mids. Easy to play and delightful to strum. All this in a guitar that can be plugged in too....amazing! Mr. Martin, you made a great Guitar in the DRS1!
Manufacturer Support:
Can't rate them as I haven't had to contact them. Adjusted the pickup myself so did not need to send it in for service.
The Wow Factor:
I love the simplistic beauty of this guitar....no bling, just beautiful wood grain!
Overall:
Ok....I would only trade this guitar for a Guild jumbo 6 string worth at least $2000....or an Olsen....in a nutshell....It would take a great and very expensive guitar to make me give this one up!

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A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

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